Flour Child
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: After Snow goes into labor in the shop and Neal and Rumple deliver the baby, Rumple begins to long for parenthood again. Belle, taking Emma's advice, gives Rumple a bag of flour to care for first, just to brush up on parenting, and he discovers quickly that it's harder than he remembers. One-shot.


Disclaimer: Only plot and characters belong to me.

"What do you need me to get from the back of the shop, Rumple?" Belle asked as she opened the shop door and flipped the sign so that everyone would know they were open for business. "Anything?"

"No, sweetheart," Rumple told her, coming to take her in his arms and give her a kiss. "I think we're good for the moment and if it turns out that I _do_ need something, it can wait until my son finishes his breakfast and gets back here.

"All right," Belle nodded. "I'll be on my way to the library, then. I have to track down people who refuse to turn in late library books today and see what I can get back before I do inventory."

"Ah," Rumple smiled. "Anything I can do to help?"

Belle smiled and shook her head, putting a hand on his arm. "That's very kind, but…I think I have it under control."

"Are you sure?" Rumple asked. "Because it would really be my pleasure. You know people tend to take advantage if they feel they can and I want to be sure people realize that when they basically make a deal with you, they have to keep their word."

"I can handle it," Belle repeated. "Really, I promise. If something happens, I'll be sure to call Emma or David. You're busy enough here. You don't need to add to your workload by running after me."

"Oh, I know," Rumple told her. "But I'd be glad to. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I do," Belle assured him. "And I thank you for that." She headed toward the door and just barely missed having it slam into her face as it opened. When Neal saw, he flushed a little.

"Sorry about that," he told her. "I didn't know you'd be over here. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, you missed," Belle assured him. "I'm just going on my way. But I'll be back in time for us to have lunch at Granny's, okay?"

"All right," Rumple said to her. "Goodbye. I'll see you later."

It wasn't long after Belle had left that a heavily pregnant Snow came into the shop to look for some last minute things for the baby. She was browsing among the shelves when all of sudden, there was a crash and she let out a cry.

"What was that?" Rumple asked.

"I don't know," Neal replied. "We should probably go see." They ran in the direction of where the crash had come from, and it wasn't difficult to ascertain what was going on, as Snow was screaming at the top of her lungs about how the baby she was carrying had finally decided to come, and it wasn't wasting any time.

"It's coming!" Snow cried at Neal and Rumple who were scrambling around and trying to figure out what to do. She was lying on her back on the shop floor, and Neal said, "Can you get up? I'm sure that no matter how fast it's coming, you can do better than give birth on the floor. Dad's got a room that's just a few steps away." He looked at Rumple. "You don't mind her using the bed, do you?"

"There's really no other solution, is there?" Rumple asked as Neal helped Snow up. "Should I call her husband?"

"You could try," Snow panted before letting out another scream. "But he and Emma are working on the latest catastrophe to befall the town and I don't know if he'll get here in time."

"We should at least try, shouldn't we?" Neal asked. He helped Snow into the bed and then Rumple tried to get hold of David. When he couldn't reach him despite trying several times, he finally just left a message for him and went back into the bedroom just in time to see Neal deliver Snow and David's baby.

"Well, that didn't waste any time, did it?" He asked and came closer.

"It's a boy," Neal replied. Then he handed the baby to Snow and said, what are you gonna name it?"

"David and I have talked about this and I really want to name him Leopold after my father, you know? And Leo's a hip and cool nickname, right?" Snow asked. "David doesn't like it, but he wasn't just in labor, was he? Oh, and would you mind if the middle name I gave him was yours?"

"No, I wouldn't mind," Neal smiled. "In fact, I'd be very honored."

"I'm glad," Snow told him. "Cause it all seems right to me." She stayed in the shop until David and Emma finally came running in.

"Snow, I am _so_ sorry I missed this," David told her and took the baby in his arms. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course I can," Snow replied. "You were fighting evil. I'm not going to blame you for that. Plus it gave me the chance to name him after my father since you weren't around to protest, so there you go."

David heard this and groaned, but Emma said, "You know what, maybe it won't be so bad. He can be called Leo. That wouldn't be dorky. Not since _Titanic's_ not a big movie around here."

"Well, I'm glad _someone_ approves," Snow told her.

"We should probably get you to the hospital, shouldn't we?" Emma asked. "Have Whale check you out to make sure everything is all right?"

"Yes, I think we should," Snow nodded.

As she handed baby Leo to Emma and let David help her out of bed so she could re-dress. Once she was fully clothed, she told Neal and Rumple, "Thank you so much for all your help. I-I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been around. It was…it was a pretty heroic thing to act so quickly."

"It's really not a problem," Neal told her.

"Yes," Rumple added. "Anyone else would have done the same thing. You go take care of yourself now, all right?"

"All right," Snow replied. "I will."

* * *

It didn't take long for the news of what Rumple and Neal had done for Snow to get around Storybrooke. When they met Belle for lunch at Granny's, everyone toasted them and cheered, even people who usually looked upon Rumple with nothing but undisguised contempt.

"Well, I was not expecting this," Rumple said as he slid into the booth next to Belle and Rumple took a seat next to them. "I didn't really do much, after all. It was my boy here who delivered the child."

"You helped after, Papa." Neal told him. "Don't sell yourself short."

As they basked in adulation and a free lunch, Belle said, "So what happened? Tell me all about it."

"Well, there isn't much to tell, really," Rumple replied. "After you left, Mary Margaret came into the shop to look for something and then went into labor, so we got her into our bed and a short time later, the child came into the world. We'll need to wash our sheets and things before we go to sleep tonight. We can't forget that."

"I'll make a note of that," Belle replied.

* * *

And as the day went on, thoughts came into Rumple's mind that he only shared with Belle that night before bed.

"I have something I need to get off my chest, Belle," he told her, trying not to sound nervous.

"Of course, Rumple," Belle replied. "What is it?"

"Well, seeing Snow's child be born today, and being there so close after the birth…it gave me some stirrings that I haven't felt in years," Rumple said. "Not that I'm saying we need to have a child now or anything like that, but…I wonder if we could at least think about it."

"Of course we can think about it," Belle replied. "But as you know already, it's a big responsibility, and are you sure…are you sure that you could handle a child along with everything else you're dealing with?"

"I don't know," Rumple shrugged. "I just…I wish there was a way to see."

"Well, maybe you'll find one tomorrow," Belle told him. "Until now, try and get some rest, hero."

"All right," Rumple smiled and kissed her hand. "I really will try."

* * *

"I've got it," Belle said as she strode into the shop and plunked a bag of flour down on the counter. "That's the solution."

"Excuse me, sweetheart," Rumple said. "But that looks like a bag of flour. What am I supposed to do with it?"

"I talked to Emma about what we spoke of last night because I thought she'd have some different suggestions since she hasn't always lived here, and she told me that where she lived before she came here, teenagers do something in school where they carry a bag of flour around for a week and pretend it's a child. That could help you decide for sure whether or not you're ready to handle another baby. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds absolutely insane," Rumple replied. "But I suppose if it's a tried and true method to resolve the question, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, would it? They do this for a week, you said?" He picked up the flour bag and stared at it.

"Yes," Belle nodded. "According to Emma. And along with it, a baby schedule."

"Well," Rumple nodded. "All right, then. Since this project is meant to help me, I'll take the first watch, shall I?"

"All right," Belle nodded. "Good luck." She left and Rumple stood and stared at the bag that she'd left on the counter. He was still staring at it and figuring out what the hell he was supposed to do when Neal came in.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "What's the bag of flour for? Have you decided to take up and new hobby and exchange spinning for baking?"

"No," Rumple shook his head. "Belle was told by Emma that a way to prepare people for parenthood is to have them watch a bag of flour for a week, and so that is what I'm doing."

"Well, you know how to be a parent," Neal told him. "I have _some_ good memories."

"I realize that," Rumple replied. "But I also made a lot of inexcusable mistakes with you that I don't wish to repeat with any other child. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do," Neal nodded. "The kid's lucky to have someone who's trying so hard."

He went off to check inventory and stuff and Rumple locked himself in his and Belle's room so people wouldn't see him do ridiculous things like pretending to feed a bag of flour and change its diaper.

When Belle came home, she found Rumple nearly passed out on the bed. "Long day?" She asked, reaching out to play with his hair.

"Oh, yes," Rumple nodded. "Between waiting on customers and watching that bag of flour, you have no idea."

"You're supposed to think of it as a child, not as a bag of flour," Belle reminded him.

"That's still the most ridiculous thing," Rumple replied. "I would _never_ think of a bag of flour as a child, regardless of whether this exercise tells me to or not."

"All right," Belle told him and got up. "Whatever you say."

* * *

But despite how certain he seemed to be that he would never see the bag of flour as more than that, as the days went by, he shot up in bed every night after having the same consistent nightmare.

"What is it now?" Belle asked him sleepily after she turned on the light following the fourth night of him doing it. "Will you please tell me what the problem is? I can help."

"No, I can't," Rumple shook his head. "You're just going to think it's silly."

"No, I won't," Belle told him. "You can tell me anything. You know that."

"Fine," Rumple told her. "But you have to promise not to laugh."

"I won't," Belle swore. "I promise."

Rumple swallowed, got out of bed, and began pacing around the room. "Well, I keep having dreams about the bag of flour getting kidnapped," he told her at last. "The kidnappers ask for ransom, and when I don't give it to them fast enough, they start sending me muffins in the mail. I know it's ridiculous to be so troubled by a bad dream, but…"

"It's all right," Belle assured him. "Because that's all it is: a dream. Now come and get some sleep. Or is it time for you to check on the baby anyway?"

"Yes," Rumple nodded and looked at the clock. "I guess it is." He went to check on the bag of flour and then came back to bed, and with Belle's arms around him, he was no longer troubled by bad dreams.

* * *

The next couple of days also didn't bode well for Rumple's future as a parent. The appearance of Regina's sister and his former magic pupil, Zelena, took every ounce of attention Rumple had, and when the shop was attacked, the flour was hit by a spell and set on fire, and kicked around so that flour spilled out of the ripped bag.

When everything was over, Rumple picked up what he could and said, "Well, I tried, I guess. It's too dangerous for me to do this again."

"You want my opinion?" Belle asked.

"Of course," Rumple told her. "Always."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself," she said. "I mean, it might be good to wait, sure. But to just give up on being a father again because of something that happened with a bag of flour…I don't think you need to go that far. You know what? I asked Snow and Charming if I could watch baby Leo while they went out to dinner. It's much easier to do things like parent if you have help. We can make it work."

"All right, Belle," Rumple smiled. "I suppose…I suppose I can give it one more try."

"Good," Belle nodded. "That's wonderful to hear."

"So, how'd the child-raising experiment go?" Snow asked Rumple when she and Charming dropped baby Leo off. "Good? Bad?"

"Just be glad your child is not a bag of flour," Rumple replied. "Today was my last day of it. It taught me a lot."

"Oh? Like what?" David asked.

"That I'm not ready now," Rumple replied. "But when I am, Belle and I will watch the child together, and I won't be making the same mistakes this time that I did last time."

"Good," David smiled as Snow handed Leo to Belle. "We won't be gone long, I promise."

"Take your time," Belle told them. "Your son's in good hands here."

"Yes," Snow agreed, smiling at Rumple. "Yes, he is."


End file.
